The identification of constituent gases in the emissions of internal combustion engines is increasingly important as environmental awareness and air pollution prevention are emphasized. Complete engine control systems are moving toward on-vehicle exhaust monitoring systems that, for example, are capable of checking catalytic converter performance. Along with potential application in literally hundreds of millions of private automobiles, such monitoring systems are desirable for public transportation vehicles such as buses, as well as police, fire, and ambulance vehicles, and a myriad of military applications.
Methods and systems for identifying constituent gases in a mixture include using gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and cyclotron resonance. In general, these methods use extensive hardware in nonportable systems. Typically, these systems are expensive and difficult to operate. Such systems are also not generally suitable for use in a high temperature environment (greater than 700 degrees Celsius) and over a large range of pressure (0 to greater than 1.01.times.10.sup.5 Pa (1 atmosphere)) such as that which may be encountered in a typical exhaust gas monitoring environment.
Thus, what is needed is a relatively simple, inexpensive, easy to operate portable gas ionization method and apparatus which can withstand high temperature and pressure. Such a system would be suitable for implementation as an on-board exhaust gas analyzer to provide exhaust gas analysis as part of a complete engine control system. It is also desirable that such a system and method be generally applicable to diverse applications such as drug control, breath analysis for health care purposes, and other applications.